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Niger’s junta chief appointed a new chief of staff, state TV reported on Friday, after a thwarted army mutiny last month shook his grip on power.

Supporters of the military government put down the attempted uprising with the help of Russian mercenaries, but not before intense fighting in the capital.

Disgruntled soldiers attacked several sensitive sites in Niamey and hunkered down in a key military base at the airport.

“By a decree signed on September 11, 2026, General Abdourahamane Tiani has appointed Brigadier General Mamane Sani Kiaou as chief of staff of the armed forces,” state TV reported a statement as saying.

Kiaou, who previously served as army chief of staff, replaces General Moussa Salaou Barmou.

The statement did not say why Barmou had been dismissed.

Niger has been run by General Tiani since a coup in July 2023 that toppled the elected president Mohamed Bazoum, who has been detained ever since.

Tiani also appointed General Abdourahmane Abou Zataka to succeed Kiaou as army chief of staff, the statement added.

Described as a “seasoned field commander” by associates, Kiaou has led a fight against jihadist groups in Niger’s western Tillaberi region and in the southeastern Diffa area.

Nigerien state media reported that he recently concluded a tour of the country’s key military garrisons aimed at “restoring cohesion among the troops.”

Kiaou also led negotiations that resulted in the withdrawal of French and US forces from Niger following the July 2023 coup.

Tiani has moved the country closer to Russia and away from Western partners, notably former colonial power France.
State television had previously broadcast accusations that France was behind last month’s uprising.

AFP

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery has raised its Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) gantry price by ₦85 per litre, pushing the wholesale price from ₦1,265 to ₦1,350 and signalling fresh upward pressure on petrol prices across the country. The latest adjustment, according to Petroleumprice.ng, represents a 6.7 per cent increase and comes as international crude oil prices and petroleum product replacement costs continue to climb.

The development is particularly significant as the new Dangote price is now above the current PMS landing-cost benchmark of ₦1,311 per litre, further complicating pricing decisions for depot owners and independent marketers.

The refinery had earlier maintained its Lagos gantry price at ₦1,265 per litre despite rising international market prices. However, the renewed surge in crude oil and replacement costs appears to have forced a reassessment of its pricing position.

The impact is already being felt in the wider market, with depot marketers across the country adjusting their prices and stock positions in anticipation of higher replacement costs.

Market operators said the pressure is also spreading beyond Lagos, with similar concerns emerging across major coastal trading hubs, including Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar.

However, actual depot prices vary from one supplier to another, depending on factors such as available stock, product source and prevailing market conditions.

The new ₦1,350 per litre ex-gantry price effectively establishes Dangote Refinery’s latest wholesale reference point, putting further pressure on depot owners and marketers, whose next pricing decisions will largely depend on how crude oil prices and international product replacement costs evolve.

With replacement costs already elevated, the latest Dangote adjustment could therefore translate into another round of price reviews across the downstream petroleum market if the international crude rally persists.

Recall that global crude oil prices climbed above $100 per barrel, reaching their highest level since July, as escalating military tensions in the Middle East raise fresh fears of disruptions to crude production and international oil shipments.

Brent crude, the global benchmark against which Nigeria’s crude is priced, rose 2.8 per cent on Wednesday to break above the $100 per barrel mark, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained 2.9 per cent to $95.70 per barrel.

The latest rally has pushed both benchmarks more than 60 per cent higher than their levels at the beginning of the year, increasing concerns that a prolonged energy shock could drive up the cost of petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, electricity generation, transportation and manufactured goods across the world.

The surge was triggered by a fresh escalation in the Middle East, following reports of strikes involving Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and another vessel near Kharg Island, one of Iran’s major oil export centres.

The development came amid reports of attempted missile attacks on a US Navy warship, raising concerns that the conflict could widen and threaten key oil-producing and shipping areas. (The Sun, but headline reworked)

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A Nigerian mother of five has been thrown into deep mourning after losing her twin sons to accidental poisoning.

According to a viral online post by Chioma Ifeanyi-Eze on Facebook, the bereaved mother, who works as a domestic cleaner, had been dealing with a rodent infestation in her home.

In an attempt to eradicate the pests, she laced bread crumbs with rat poison and placed them across her house.

Tragically, one of her twin sons found the contaminated bread, ate some of it, and shared the rest with his brother.

Both children suffered fatal poisoning and passed away.